1. Field of the Invention
This technology relates to oil and gas wells, and in particular to a boltless bonnet assembly for a blowout preventer (BOP) for use in wellbore operations.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The existing technologies for extracting fossil fuels use components such as a blowout preventer (BOP) for preventing well blowouts. A typical BOP includes a bore that runs through the BOP and connects to a wellbore. Due to the physical and mechanical demands placed on BOPs in the field, the components of a BOP assembly, such as the BOP rams, need to be examined, adjusted, machined and/or replaced periodically. The BOP bonnet assembly typically must be separated from the ram body of the BOP to allow access to serviceable components such as the ram block.
The operation of disengaging the BOP bonnets from the ram body can be very laborious, typically requiring specialized tools designed to accommodate connectors such as the large diameter bolts employed in these systems, and therefore requires appreciable time, effort and cost for the technicians and engineers charged with separating the bonnets. In addition, there is a significant concern related to the amount of down time for the rig, which requires the BOP for operation, and the potential millions of dollars that may be lost while the wellbore equipment is idle. Moreover, a wellbore may be located in an environment that may be difficult to access, such as a deep water wellbore, where even greater costs, time, and associated operator safety concerns must be addressed.